Over 90 percent of the adult population is infected with some form of periodontal disease. Most periodontal disease begins in the interproximal area of the mouth between the teeth. This degradation results from the bacteria that are nourished from food debris that are not removed from the gum area. Anaerobic bacterial activity in this ecological region of the gingival sulcus is the major cause of periodontal disease. As a result, it is highly desirable to remove contaminants from the gingival sulcus. Brushing will not always effectively remove the contaminants and even flossing the teeth is not completely effective. There is thus a need for a convenient oral irrigation device that will lavage between teeth and around the gum line to facilitate debridement of food particles and bacterial plague.
The most common type of oral irrigation devices includes a liquid reservoir that is positioned on a surface close to a sink and has a fluid connection tube to the exit nozzle that can reach the person's mouth. Most of these devices are powered by an electric motor. The relatively large liquid reservoir makes this type of devices awkward to transport in a suitcase for travel and the need for electrical power adds cost and limits the use in remote areas.
Another type includes the liquid reservoir and the exit nozzle housed in a hand-held self-contained package. The liquid is dispensed using either electrical power, pressurized gas or a hand-pump. The electrical power is supplied either by a battery or from a transformer. These electric or gas powered devices can be easily transported but are relatively expensive because of the electrical or gas power aspects. A further disadvantage is that the devices require replacement batteries or charged gas containers and therefore are not suitable for extended use in remote locations. In a hand operated pump, the pressure of the fluid that is discharged depends on the speed at which the pump is operated. With these hand operated pump devices, the pressure varies from a mere dribble to full pressure during the stroke resulting in ineffective use of the fluid. Other difficulties with these irrigators are that the dispensed stream often does not have sufficiently high enough pressure in order to properly clean the gum area and that they are awkward to handle.
A further important disadvantage of these irrigators is that it is difficult to dispose of the liquid that is injected into the person's mouth without soiling the wearing apparel.
There is a need for an inexpensive hand-held oral irrigation device that is completely self contained. There is a need to provide simultaneously a lavage and a vacuum to remove the dispensed fluid.
There is also a need to deliver the fluid without electrical or gas power.
There is also a need for a device that is readily portable for travel.
There is also a need for an irrigator including a hand pump that can provide an adjustable minimum liquid stream pressure that remains relatively constant while the hand-pump is operated.
There is also a need to provide an adjustable stream pulse volume.